The Lost and the Found
by Temporal Break
Summary: After helping to save Earth from the Disastroid, Dani set out to figure out who she was. 3 years later, Dani hitches a train ride to Los Vagabundos, Haven of Wanderers. However, the town is plagued by the souls of the lost, ruthless, and just plain mischievous. It's up to a new hero to face the paranormal threat and protect her new found home. (Chapter 4 uploaded)
1. Chapter 1: Meager Beginnings

The Lost and the Found

Chapter 1: Meager Beginnings

Los Vagabundos (va-ha-BOON-dos), or Vaga, as it was more commonly known, wasn't exactly a place that many made their permanent residence. In fact, many people had never seen the town at all. And who could blame them? The town was located in the Mojave Desert, where it was hot, dry, and desolate for miles. A harsh wasteland by day, and a bitter tundra by night.

The town itself was nothing to speak of either. It held, at most, 400 people, who went about their daily business in the desert heat. In fact, the only way to travel to the town safely was by a train that stopped about 5 miles from the city. But it was unique in one way.

Vaga was the final stop for the lost and deprived.

All who traveled to Vaga, for whatever reason or excuse, generally stayed. After days of little to no food, water, or home, Vaga provided for the wanderers. Many repaid the town by becoming workers and permanent residents. After all, when the broken and weary were lost, Vaga became shelter, and eventually home, for lost souls.

Both literally and figuratively…

I-I-I-I

_*click, click, click, click, click*_

Locomotive 4697 skidded and clicked its way down the worn iron tracks left by platelayers decades back. The engineer, an old man with smoke and coal stained overalls and undershirt, leaned out the window to see a decrepit wooden station with peeling paint.

"Well, finally here", muttered the engineer, pulling a lever. "Wonder if we got any surprises in the cars? Least then this trip won't be fer nothing."

As the train threw sparks from its wheels, the train engineer climbed down from the engine car and shuffled through the frigid sand to his old red boxcars. Stopping at one painted with a crude black W on its side, he opened the latch and slid the rusted door open.

The inside was packed with wooden crates, metal scraps, and various assorted bits and bobs from countless deliveries. However, there was one item that caught his attention. It wasn't on his ledger, it was extremely irregular, and it was currently curled up, snoring from fatigue and shivering from the desert cold.

"Would ya lookit that?" whispered the coal stained worker. "Looks like the trip weren't fer nothing after all". Smiling a yellow-stained grin, he slowly climbed into the car and crept toward the sleeping body. With practiced caution, he tapped the figure on, what he presumed to be, its shoulder.

The figure raised its head, moaning with the effort of escaping its dreams. It faced the engineer, messy raven hair covering its facial features. What was most amazing about this person was its build; it couldn't be any older than sixteen. Incredible. Most wanderers that age traveled with adults, or bleached their bones in the sand. Suspending his disbelief, he asked it a question, slowly and clearly.

"Can. You. Understand. Me?"

It nodded its head. Good. At least the language barrier wouldn't be an issue. Last time that happened…shaking the thought from his head, he asked it another question.

"Can ya talk to me?"

"Yes", a female voice replied.

The engineer blinked. A girl. Not just an adolescent, but a girl to boot. Now he was glad he'd made to stop at Vaja Station. It wasn't every day you found a wanderer with such resolve.

"Alright, I'm on a schedule, so I'll keep this quick. Yer tired and hungry. I know a place to stay about five miles west o' here. It's a walk, a long one, but make and ye'll be in good hands. Got it?"

"I got it. Thanks, old man"

"Don't call me that", snapped the engineer brusquely. "I have a name, ya know. Matthew."

"Sorry, sorry. I'm Dani", replied the girl, wearily sitting up and leaning against the boxcar wall. "And thanks again."

"Sure, sure. Now I've got a schedule to keep, so I kin give you three minutes to git yer belongings, if ya got 'em, in order. Then I got places to be".

The world worn engineer turned and shuffled toward the door. He knew that if she survived the desert to get on the train, she could make it to the town. After all, anyone who caught the train could-

A bright flash of white light interrupted his thoughts. He turned his head toward the girl. "Hey miss, is everything-"

She wasn't there. The girl had disappeared.

Matt rubbed his eyes, then shrugged his shoulders and climbed out of the car. He'd seen weirder.

Little did he know that a shadowy form floated above his train, mouthing a silent "Thank You". It then turned and flew toward the town, for reasons only it knew.

Reasons that would come to haunt its new home.


	2. Chapter 2: Old Friends, New Friends

**(EDIT 1/3/14: I added a few notes to clear an issue up. Nothing plot changing.)**

**Hello, peoples of the internet! Temporal Break here, with a few things about this story.**

**I noticed a lot of stories here about Dani returning to Amity, and becoming a member of the Fenton Family, which is a really lovable topic and grounds for some amazing concepts. Then I thought to myself, "Hey! Danielle has another option", the other option being that she goes out and tries to find herself (or something like that); in essence, that's what this story is about. Well, sort of.**

**But instead of me trying to explain it, how about you read it and see what you think. **

**So, without further ado, here is Chapter 2 of _The Lost and The Found._**

* * *

Chpater 2: Old Friends, New Friends

Danielle lay on a cold, metal table, dressed in a patient's gown. All around her lay instruments, liquids, and metallic implements, no doubt of malicious intent. She tried to move, but found her arms and legs bound by an unknown force. After a minute of pointless struggling, she stopped. That was when she felt it.

A familiar feeling of melting.

She craned her neck to see her feet and gasped in horror. They were gone, replaced by glowing and bubbling slime. Slowly, the ooze crept up her legs, dissolving her as it moved along her body. The girl panicked and tried to escape the slime, but it kept destroying her. As she struggled, a shadowy figure with glowing red eyes and a cheshire grin approached her. When the corruption had nearly consumed her, Danielle heard it say a simple phrase.

"You took everything I love, child. Now I will take everything from you."

* * *

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-ow!"

Danielle rubbed her head where a lump was no doubt taking residence. After shaking off the pain, she checked to see that she wasn't still in her dream.

"Let's see. Blue hoodie? Check. Red Pants? Check? White Shirt? Check. All limbs intact? Check. And…I still have my lucky red hat."

Satisfied that she wasn't a pile of goo, Danielle stood up to examine what she had hit, and saw the post. She realized that when she woke up from her nightmare, she had bolted upright; unfortunately, that post happened to be in the path of her forehead, and greeted it with a solid smack. Danielle looked up the marker, and saw that a faded sign sat on top, with four words still legible.

"Welcome to Los Vagabundos!"

"Los Vagabundos?" Danielle muttered; her mind still foggy after slamming her forehead against the signpost. "How did I end up here? I thought I was…" Then she remembered. After hitching a ride on the train the night before, Danielle had flown until she couldn't fly any longer. The last things she remembered seeing before she blacked out were lights, which must have come from…

She peeked behind the sign to see a city. No, it was too small to be a city. Maybe a town. But a town wouldn't be built on cliffs, right? Maybe it was an abode. But there was no one there, so was it deserted? No, there were definitely footprints leading up to the buildings, so it wasn't deserted. After all, there was someone sprinting out of the city heading straight for her. Wait, what?

A young girl, about 14, was running as fast as she could to get to Danielle, yelling the whole time. Unfortunately, the girl tripped over one of the rocks lodged in the path and face planted, eventually skidding to a stop at Danielle's feet. She looked at the girl, confused, and then asked, "Hey. Umm, are you alright?"

A muffled voice replied, "Oh, I'm just perfect. After all, who doesn't love a sand and gravel breakfast in the morning?"

"Uh, right. Sorry. Dumb question." Danielle apologized as she helped the blond girl up. As she expected, the girl wasn't much older than 14, but had a hardened look to her, or was it soft? She was dressed in a cargo vest lined with pockets, a loose white tank top, brown cargo shorts also lined with pockets, and dark brown hiking boots with long socks. What was most curious about her, thought, were her forearms. Dozens of bracelets covered them, from rubber to string, fat to thin, and in every possible color a human could imagine, and possibly a few that they couldn't.

"Hey, what's the deal with all those bracelets? You collect them?"

"Oh, these things?" the girl asked, indicating the dozens of bands that lined her forearms. "Yeah, I've collected one for each place I've traveled; to be honest, I lost count after I climbed the Grand Canyon, but I'll count them eventually. Anyways, I bet you're wonder wondering why I was running to meet you."

"To show off your incredible acrobatic skill?"

"No, silly. It's because you're the first one to come here in a long time. A really long time. Matter of fact, I was the last one to come here. It's been fooooooreeeeeeever since someone new came by. So what's your name? Where you from? Who're your friends what's your favorite food favorite color favorite book did you ever have a pet what was its name whatdiditeatohmygoodnessitssoexcitingtohavesomeonenew totatlktonooneinvagalistenstomeso-"

Danielle noticed a heavy red tint creep into the girl's face and decided to cut her off before she exhausted her air supply (and Danielle's patience).

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, girl. Take a deep breath, and let's start from the beginning. My name is Danielle, no last name, and it really isn't important where I came from. As to why I came here, well… I'm not really sure. All I knew when I began my travels was that I wanted to find and test my limits, or something like that. Anyways, how about you? What's your name?"

The energetic teen had finally caught her breath, and was more than eager to tell Dani about herself.

"Alrighty, then, where to begin? Well, my name is Jaike, Jaike Mander, and I came to this town about 2 years ago with my mom. She's still here if you want to meet her; but, that's beside the point. I love collecting things: sure, bracelets are cool, but all of my pockets are filled with stuff. It's the reason for my cargo clothing; I couldn't carry my stuff otherwise. Also, I like meeting new people, messing with the stuff I've collected, and eating sugar."

"You mean candy and soda and cookies andstuff like that, right?" Danielle said in a worried tone.

"Nope. Plain, granulated sugar is good enough for me. Anyways, you gonna come into Vaga, or what?"

"Um, I think I'll come in later. There's some stuff I need to take care of first."

"Alright!" exclaimed Jaike, already halfway to the town and not slowing down. "But take care of it quickly! I don't want you baking like a lizard!"

* * *

Danielle waited until Jaike was out of listening distance before reaching up to her ear and turning on a hidden earpiece. A familiar voice immediately came through.

"Man, does that girl run on solar power or what? Seriously, I've never seen some talk _or_ run that fast. Someone really needs to-"

"Tucker!" A feminine voice cut into Tuckers tirade on Jaike's disposition. "Be nice. Remember that one time Valerie asked you out on a dance? You acted pretty much the same way."

"Seriously, Sam, I thought we agreed never to talk about that." Tucker hissed. "Besides, I'm not the only guilty man here. Remember last Christmas when Danny got you a new greenhouse? I thought you were gonna squeeze him to death and turn him full ghost."

"He could've gone intangible"

"Sure, but-"

"GUYS!" Danielle hissed into the earpiece. "I didn't call you to talk about last Christmas. I called you to talk about what the heck I'm doing in the Mojave Desert! You didn't exactly tell me when I left FentonWorks!"

Silence hung in the air for a few moments, followed by a few mumbled apologies. "Sam was still-"

"TUCKER!"

"Sorry! Sorry! Anyways, down to business. Over the past few months, we've noticed high levels of ectoplasmic activity in the Mojave Desert, and we managed to triangulate the source to this location. Unfortunately, Danny's on duty most of the day in Amity Park, so-"

"You want me to fix the problem instead of him." Danielle finished

"More specifically, we want you to find the source and report back to us. Basically reconnaissance. If it's something you think that you can handle, we'll probably still ask you to stay out of if it."

"Why's that?"

"If you've watched any Hollywood movie, then you know that you can't be overconfident. You end up a monster's lunch if you are."

"Tucker, I've been doing scouting missions for Team Phantom for a long time now. I'm sure that whatever it is won't be that hard to handle."

"Sure, sure, that's what you think. Any other questions?"

As Danielle opened her mouth, a wisp of blue vapor escaped her lips. At the same time, the sky changed its light blue color to an unnatural shade of purple.

"Yeah. My ghost sense just went off and the sky changed color. Do you want me to take care of it?"

"Preferably not," Tucker mumbled with a bit of hesitation. "But you're probably going to ignore me anyway, huh."

Sam quickly came to Danielle's defense. "C'mon, Tuck. She's been working for Team Phantom for a year now. Let's see if her training amounts to some serious ghost butt-kicking. Or any butt kicking for that matter."

"Thanks, Sam." Danielle replied. "Alright, I'm going in. Wish me luck."

"Good luck!" Sam cheered, nearly peaking the headphone.

"Please don't get killed." Tucker whispered under his breath.

Danielle sprinted down the sand blown trail toward Vaga, steeling herself for the upcoming fight- then tripped on the same rock that Jaike had tripped on before.

Tucker laughed a long time before spurting out, "Man, that rock is out for blood, isn't it?"

"Shut up", she retorted shortly as she got up and rushed for the town, ready to face the ghost that haunted her new home.

* * *

**So there we are. The basic premise of _The Lost and The Found_. While Dani isn't adopted by the Fentons, she isn't forsaken by them either. In essence, she's on reconnaissance duty for Team Phantom. For the time, anyway.**

**Also, Jaike! What Tucker is to Danny, Jaike will be to Danielle. But not exactly. I don't wan't this story to be a gender swapped version of Danny Phantom, so there will be some changes here and there.**

**One more thing. Tucker and Sam are not physically with Danielle; they were able to see Jaike's fa;;**

**If you like the story, please leave a review telling me how I did. If you read it and immediately retched from its stupidity, review it and tell me how to improve. Either type really helps me out.**

**That's it for me, and I'll see you in Chapter 3: Fiends on the Other Side.**


	3. Chapter 3: Fiends on the Other Side

**Hello, peoples of the the Internet! Temporal Break here, wishing you a Happy New- wait, that was 13 days ago. Hmm...well at the very least, have a Happy Today! Just a few things before we get started.**

**A. This chapter should not have been so late coming. Long story short, I got stuck on one part in here, and it took me over two weeks to get it right. So yeah. It'll be better next time. I hope.**

**B. I've always been confused about the Phantom time progression, and I'd like to get it right so that ages can be correct. Specifically, I want to know Danny's age during Kindred Spirits, and Danny's age during the Disastroid incident. **

**That's all for now, so sit back and enjoy Chapter 3 of _The Lost and the Found._**

* * *

Chapter 3: Fiends on the Other Side

Most days, Skulker would have been hunting in the dark corners of the Ghost Zone for rare and exotic specters. Most days, Skulker would have been terrorizing the citizens of Amity Park and getting a laugh out of their panic. Most days, Skulker would be fighting the ghost boy, Danny Phantom, in an attempt to hang the half-ghost's pelt on his wall.

Today was not most days.

Today, Skulker was scouting a small town in some Clockwork-forsaken desert in an attempt to kidnap a specific person for an anonymous dealer. Normally, he would have terminated the deal with quick word and even quicker bullets, but this man had gotten some dirt on the iron-clad mecha ghost that would've driven his career to a humiliating stop. So instead of hunting spectral majesties or squaring off against the ghost whelp, he was stuck on a desert plateau getting sand in places he didn't know he had.

"At least the suit can be cleaned," Skulker muttered bitterly to himself. "But I'm sick of waiting around for this, this stupid fleshbag to show up! I'm a hunter, by Pariah's beard, not a witless spy; I hunt, I don't stalk!" As minute after excruciating minute passed by, the hunter grew more and more irritated with his current position and agitated disposition.

"I could go in there right now, find the girl, and get back to hunting. Sure, a few buildings might be leveled, and a couple people might grab a ticket to the other side, but hey, it leaves room for other retail and residents. Besides, this town isn't even on the map, no one would miss it."

A passing vulture spotted the hunter stooped in the sand. In a passing moment of insanity, it decided that Skulker was a struggling survivor, and swooped down for a meal. The doomed bird perched on his iron clad shoulder and began to peck at his skin; moments later, a cloud of black feathers exploded where the vulture had perched before. Pleased to have killed something, Skulker picked up the bird, holstered his blaster and turned his attention back to the avian corpse.

"Hmm, not bad weight for an Earth creature, and the plumage is, um, was, especially fine. Maybe I can fix it up on my island; it would be a shame to let such a prize go to-". A raven colored something colored something caught his eye at the base of the stone tower, and he turned from his prize to…

The girl.

The girl was right there.

At the lip of the town.

Completely unaware.

Skulker nearly fried the impudent child for wasting his time, and then remembered that without his target alive, he would become the laughing stock of both this world and the ghost world. So he kept quiet, and started his jetpacks in preparation for the abduction.

"Then, once I clean my hands of this affair, Phantom will be mine!" he chuckled, flying down to capture the girl.

* * *

Danielle stood at the edge of the town, mouth agape at the sight. Just for reference, She had seen the inside of a madman's lab, she had seen an emergency operations center balanced on top of a ghosthunter's home, and she had even seen a giant metal tower capable of rendering the Earth intangible, but her eyes had never beheld anything like what she saw before her.

Two walls of stone rose up on side, plateaus of rock and gravel dominating her view and reaching into the purple sky. Cliffs protruded from the plateaus, with bits of vegetation hanging from their jagged ridges. The towers of rock looked untouched from a distance, but a closer inspection at the base of the monoliths revealed a settlement unlike anything she had seen.

There were buildings. Real brick and mortar buildings. Shops. Houses. A quarry and a water pump. Electrical wires ran from roof to roof, indicating that this already impressive settlement had a means of power. Where there was no space for a house, buildings were carved directly into the side of the mesa. All of it appeared to be made from either the rock in the plateaus or the desert sand.

While the town itself was incredible, being built from granite and sandstone, Danielle realized that each building was completely different; size, shape, and model varied from structure to structure. One had intricate carvings etched into its walls, with a stone rose placed at the top. Another appeared to growing insulated wires, adapters, and switches like a horribly mutated tree, or something Tucker would build. Yet another appeared to be built in commemoration of the Parthenon, only built with granite in place of marble, but as grand as the original.

Despite the differences, the town was well constructed, thought out, beautiful, completely organized…and completely quiet. Looking back on it, Danielle hadn't seen anyone walking around, no one talking or hanging out; as a matter of fact, there was literally no sound, except for the whispers of desert winds and…

…the roar of a jet engine?

How odd. No machines were running, and there were no aircraft flying overhead, so-

BANG!

"Of course" Danielle mumbled irritably, now tangled in a glowing green net. "It's the ghost I'M supposed to be hunting."

She turned her head to face the ghost while struggling against the radiant bonds. Standing, er, hovering before her was her captor, a seven-foot tall mecha-ghost with glowing green eyes, a flaming Mohawk and goatee, a belt with an emblazoned "S" on its buckle, and a wrist-mounted laser cannon with the bad end pointed at her. Danny had mentioned his rival to Danielle, and now she was meeting him face to face.

"Skulker. I've heard of you. Greatest Hunter of the Ghost Zone"

"I don't know how you know me" the ghost seethed, "but I do know that I should turn you into a pile of ashes for wasting my time." Hate began to fill its glowing eyes. "It was time I could have spent hunting Phantom, time I could have spent tracking green ringed ectopi and other rare creatures, time I could have spent beating the final boss of _Doomed_!"

"Wait, what?" Danielle blurted, startled at Skulker's gaming hobbies.

"Butitdoesn'tmatternow" he continued hastily, "Because, unfortunately for you, my employer wants you alive. He mentioned that you ruined his life or something like that. At the very least, he didn't sound happy." The tech knight picked up the net and slung it over his shoulder, not noticing a leg poking out of the ropes. "I'd be careful if I were you."

"And I'd be more competent if I were YOU!" Danielle exclaimed, and planted her foot squarely into Skulker's back.

"OWWWW!" Skulker fell forward and face planted into the ground, groaning in pain from the impact. Unfortunately, he also released the net in the process, giving the captured girl ample time to escape. Danielle quickly untangled herself from her bonds and ran for cover.

"Ugh…that was a cheap trick, child! NOW TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE SO I CAN WIPE YOU FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH!" Skulker scanned the buildings, and then spotted a red beanie and black ponytail disappear behind the tech-tree house.

"There you are, you impotent sap." Skulker growled under his breath, stomping toward the lab. "You have sufficiently wasted my time and my patience. Now, even my deal will not save you from utter destruction." As the otherworldly hunter rounded the corner, he saw the unprotected child standing in a rather peculiar fighting stance; that is, the stance itself wasn't peculiar, but the fact that a child would fight an immortal being was.

"HA! You're not only cowardly, you're stupid to boot! Oh, this is too good; why, I ought to…to…"

Skulker trailed off as a familiar white band, pulsating with power, grew out from the girl's waist. At once, the band split along its middle, traveling along her waist and legs. Red denim and blue cotton morphed into black and white rubber, sneakers into white boots, bare hands were covered in white gloves, and the hoodie disappeared to reveal snow white hair knotted into a single braid. When the transformation was complete, Skulker merely stared, mouth wide open from the sight.

"I-impossible", Skulker stammered, taking a cautionary step back. An odd move for the stoic hunter of the Ghost Zone. "You couldn't possibly be him, could you? Danny Phantom?"

"No, I am not Danny Phantom.", the girl said, clearly annoyed. "Anyone with eyes can see that; unless of course, your eyes are for novelty purposes only."

Indeed, the titular savior of the Ghost Zone appeared to be standing before him; on closer inspection, however, Skulker realized that this could not be Danny: There were white marks on the inner parts of her black pants, a diagonal stripe was emblazoned on her dark top, and her hair was long and braided, with a square piece of chrome metal at the end. As a matter of fact, the only thing similar to the half-ghost hero was a stylized white D inscribed on the chest of the shirt.

The Phantom's insignia.

"B-but if you aren't Danny, then whoOOF!" Skulker was launched backwards, eventually leaving a Skulker-shaped imprint in a sandstone wall on some unlucky structure. Shaking the stars out of his eyes, he gazed upward to see the monochrome-clad figure brandishing a flaming green fist.

"Actually, my name_ is_ Dani, with an I.", Dani grinned, winding up for an ecto-charged helping of punishment. "And as the new protector of Los Vagabundos, it is my hope that you will enjoy your customized, personalized butt-kicking."

* * *

**Woohoo! Danielle's finally in ghost mode! Surely this can only mean good things for our half-dead hero! Well...maybe not, but you'll have to read the next chapter to find out.**

**Just one thing before you go. I've used Danielle's ghost disguise from Kindred Spirits and D-Stablilzed in this chapter, save a few changes (such as a braided ponytail and no midriff: sorry, guys.) However, since I want this series to be different from the Danny Phantom series, I want Danielle to wear a different costume. That's where you come in.**

**Simply put, I want the readers to suggest or describe alternate costumes for Danielle, and I'll choose my favorite as a new costume for her. Just don't make it overly sexualized or inappropriate; Dani's only in her teens, after all.**

**That all for now, and don't forget to review it if you loved it or review it if you loathed it. See you for Chapter 4.**


	4. Chapter 4: A Hunter Turner Hunted

**Hello, peoples of the internet! Temporal Break here. I really only have two**** thing to say, so you can enjoy your story without wasting too much time.**

**First, I'd like to thank the final boss theme from the Wind Waker for helping me get this done. What started out as a writers block for a fight scene turned out to be a really enjoyable chapter to write, all thanks to this music. Please listen to it if you're having trouble writing or if you can't get off your butt. It's catchy and bouncy, but still retains an epic feel to it. Good for writing a mano-y-mano fight. I'm rambling again.**

**Second, classes have started up again, so updates may be less frequent than they used to. Not that they were ever really frequent...just an FYI.**

**That's all for now. Please enjoy Chapter 4 of _The Lost and the Found!_**

* * *

Chapter 4: A Hunter Turned Hunted

CRUNCH!

Dani's fist smashed into the space where Skulker's head had been moments before, reducing the rock surrounding the impact to glowing rubble. Confused, she pulled her hand from the wall and looked for the ghost.

"Wait, where did you g-"

Cold, metallic knuckles collided with her chest, and her breath left her lungs. She flew backward, tumbling and rolling, finally coming to a stop at the plateau cliff. Slightly dazed, she looked up and saw Skulker appear in the visible plane. He hovered over his prey, eager to take down the troublesome halfa.

"HA! Pitiful half ghost scum. Surely even you should know that it takes more than a flaming fist to take down a ghost, especially the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter. Now, are you done playing Phantom copycat, or does Uncle Skulker need to teach you another lesson?"

He looked down, expecting to see the same look of fear and terror he found on all of his victims' faces. Instead, he found a look of…amusement? Indeed, while the ghost girl was still slumped over, a slow smile began to creep along her lips as she stared at the now bemused Skulker.

"Hmm, ya know, for a two ton hunk of dull metal, you're right about a few things" Dani remarked, still collapsed from the blow. "But you're wrong about one."

CRACK!

Dani whipped her legs around from her fallen position, catching Skulker in the arm and denting his metallic skin. Skulker reeled back in pain; he'd never see anyone move so quickly while incapacitated. He looked up at the girl, only to be met with a face full of heel. Stars burst in his eyes and he felt his body take off.

"Today, I'll be teaching _you_ a lesson" Dani sneered, lowering her foot and watching Skulker fly "So you'd better get ready to take some notes". His impact was marked by a strange mushroom-shaped cloud of dirt, just outside the town. She lowered herself into a running position and pushed off to catch the airborne hunter.

The landing site was obscured with dust from the impact. As she walked into the middle of the haze, brushing away the dust, Dani witnessed a peculiar spectacle; Skulker had landed headfirst in the sand, stuck like a large metal ostrich. "You know," she snorted, unable to contain her laughter "for a guy who's supposed to be the 'greatest hunter in the Ghost Zone', you seem to spend most of your time with your head between your legs. Or in this case, the sand."

After a few moments of struggling, Dani decided to help the useless mercenary. Of course, her definition of help involved kicking Skulker square in the gut, rooting him from the dirt and launching him meters into the air. She averted her eyes as a small eruption of silt exploded around his launch site.

A familiar voice cut into the ghost girl's ear. "Man, who knew that all we need to get a man into space was a well-delivered kick to the stomach? Would've saved NASA tons of money."

"Tucker. Good to hear your voice as always." Dani quipped with a sarcastic tone.

"Look, I didn't exactly call to make plans for dinner. I can help you with this guy."

Dani snorted at his offer. "What, you mean the Ghost Zone's lamest hunter? In case you haven't noticed, he's been going down pretty easily."

"Hey, if you don't want my help, that's fine." Tucker replied. "But when Skulker pulls out the stops, he can get nasty. I can make your fight a lot shorter and a lot easier."

Dani looked over to Skulker, now standing upright and angrier than ever. "Alright, fine, I'll take your advice, but make it quick. I really want to get back to fighting." she hissed into the earpiece.

"When don't you?" Tucked replied. Furious typing was heard on the other end.

"What are you doing?!" Dani whispered, watching the enraged specter stalk towards her.

"Look, Skulker has a glitch that I can only exploit from here. So you're gonna have to keep him busy until I'm done! It'll take about 5 minutes."

"Consider it done!" Dani's said in an eager tone, though Tuck sensed something hiding behind the eagerness.

"Is everything alright, Dani?"

"Hey, never better! Now if you'll excuse me, I have ghost butt to kick." Dani cut off the transmission, leaving Tucker to do his dirty work.

Dani retreated from the conversation and prepared to face Skulker again, when a searing pain erupted on her back. She fell to her knees and the agony subsided. Craning her neck, she saw Skulker grinning a slasher smile and aiming an arm mounted laser cannon. "You may have gotten a few lucky hits on me, but now I know not to underestimate you. You're a worthy opponent; I'll enjoy hanging your pelt on my wall."

"Unfortunately, I have a strict 'no taxidermy' policy. Rules are rules." With that, she whipped her foot around, launching an acid green shockwave from its sole. Its impact sent Skulker skidding along the sand and left energy motes in its wake. He recovered and charged at the girl full force…and suddenly she wasn't there. Milliseconds later, the girl reappeared behind him and cracked her fist onto the nape of his neck, sending him tumbling forward.

The heavy specter caught himself and regained his balance. Muttering words not meant for a child's ears, he pivoted and faced the girl, this time catching her foot mid-air.

"Sorry, whelp. It's hard to sneak up on a hunter." Skulker chided. He pulled Dani over his head and slammed her onto her back…or rather, he would have, had she not gone intangible at the peak of his lift. She chuckled as the failing predator lost his balance for the second time that day and stumbled. Skulker regained his poise, now angrier than ever. "That was a cheap trick, you ingrate! Now show yourself!"

Never one to disappoint, Dani reappeared behind the unsuspecting hunter, ready to deliver a bruise he'd remember…had he not delivered it first. He turned quickly, fist raised, and too quickly for her to recover.

THUNK!

Hard metal slammed into her face, sending pain shooting throughout. Another blow knocked the wind from her lungs. She was driven to her knees, until a cold hand grabbed her by the neck and lifted her from the ground.

"You should know that I take no joy in taking you down. Wait, no, that's a lie; you actually made my trip out here worthwhile. I thought all I was going to take home today was that bird. Thanks to you, I'm the proud owner of two magnificent hunting trophies!" Skulker laughed as he brought Dani's face to his. Seeing the girl struggle made it all the more amusing.

"Actually, I could leave you out here to die. It wouldn't take long; you'd bake in the desert sun before lunch! It would be sweet punishment for the trouble…the…the trouble…" Skulker stopped his tirade and sniffed the air, noticing a sharp tang saturating the area. It was bitter and metallic, almost like melted iron.

"Hey, buddy", Dani gasped, drawing Skulker's attention back to the ghost child.

"What is it?" Skulker snapped, noting a small smile on the strained girl's face. The same smile she displayed at the plateau. "What's so humorous?"

"I think I figured out where that smell's coming from", she rasped, nodding her head toward his arm. He turned to look and screamed an octave higher than his normal tone.

Half of his forearm had been melted into slag, roasted circuits and wires sparking and hissing. The ghost girl's hand rested in the mesh, with no signs of burning or searing. As a matter of fact, it seemed to be repairing itself from the fight. But if that was the case…

Dani saw the panicked look on Skulker's face and grinned. "You know, if you're not going to let go, I can and will make you. So I suggest you let me go. NOW." After a moment of fruitless waiting, she shrugged. "Fine. Suit yourself."

In a single swipe, Dani hacked Skulker's arm of, metal dripping from the melted arm. Now free of the iron man's grip, she tore off the disembodied hand and threw it at the ground. She turned back to Skulker, who stumbled back from shock and pain. But he wasn't done yet.

"You…you know…" Skulker said, gasping as the melted stump cooled. "You're not…a bad fighter…but I…I can still…win this…"

Dani felt a twinge of annoyance at the hunter's attempts to regain some level of authority. "Look, would you shut it already? I already beat you, so let's finish it already. Unless," she quipped with a sarcastic bite, "you'd like to run home as the Ghost Zone's greatest scaredy cat?"

At this, Skulker felt a burning anger course through him, and he rose to his full height, melted arm and all.

"No. Let's finish this."

In a flash of metal, all manners of rockets, missiles, and gun barrels grew from the ghost's back; Dani noted that all of them happened to be aimed in her direction. Diversionary tactics would have to be employed.

"Hmm, nice display of weaponry." Dani said sweetly "Hey, is that a Dillon M134? I though those were restricted by the military."

"Ooh, do you like it?" Skulker remarked, eagerness replacing the anger in his voice. "It's one of my favorite firearms; stole it from OH WHAT AM I DOING?"

So much for diversionary tactics.

"Now, I've had enough of your impudence, fool." Skulker grinned demonically as he prepared to fire on the child. "Any last words?"

"Um, yeah. What's that beeping sound?"

Skulker noticed the beeping, and tried to locate its source. He found the sound coming for a small device riveted onto his un-melted arm; he turned off the beep and read the on-screen display aloud.

"Go to Amazon jungle to study _purple backed gorillas?!_"

A winged jetpack immediate replaced Skulker's spine mounted armory, and before he could curse out the girl for cheating, Skulker the hunter was flung off to the Amazon rain forest.

Dani enjoyed the literally screaming spectacle for a few moments, and then turned her earpiece on. No doubt Tucker would have a speech ready for this crowning achievement. She was not disappointed.

"Dude, did you see that?! That was all Tucker, baby, no if, ands, or buts! Except for, of course, Skulker's butt kicking, but that's completely different."

Dani let Tucker continue his victory speech for a couple seconds, then cut in with some words of her own. "Much as I hate to say it, Tuck, I'm impressed. Where'd you learn to do that, anyway?"

"Oh, Danny didn't tell you? Skulker's had that glitch for as long as Danny's fought him. I've used that trick twice now: once when we first met him, and once when we met his future self."

"I'm sorry, future self?" Dani remarked, confused.

"Long story. But getting back to this bout, you did AWESOME! Considering this was your first major ghost fight, I'm impressed. Of course, you couldn't have done it without yours truly."

"Yes, Tucker. I couldn't have done it without your incredible technical prowess." Danielle responded sarcastically.

"Look, you know you would have been ghost flambe without me." Tucker said, pride lining his words. "But I know that your new powers also helped. Skulker's arm didn't stand a chance against your focused thermal energy conduction. "

"You mean my melt-touch?"

Silence. Complete, dead, unimpressed silence. Tucker was obviously not impressed by the label.

"…you've got to come up with a better name for that. But yes, your 'melt-touch'. You know, it's incredible what that Ecto-Dejecto did for you. It not only repaired your DNA structure, but altered it to give you new powers, too! Amazing what a DNA-altering serum can do…"

At this, Dani felt a swell of pride. Finally, she wasn't just Danny's clone; she was becoming her own person! A person who could stand on her own, a person who could stand without the shoulders of greater men, and a person who could stand…

…in the middle of a boiling desert.

Man, it was hot.

She remembered the town that she was trying to protect and decided to head back. Surely they would at least have some food and shelter, and the people seemed nice, if Jaike was any indication. She turned around to walk back to the town.

And saw Jaike standing there.

Mouth wide open.

She. Had. Seen. Everything.

"Um, Tucker?" Dani whispered into the earpiece. "We may have a situation here."

* * *

Skulker was still flying by the end of the Team Phantom conversation; unfortunately, that conversation resided over 500 miles away, and it would still be a ways before he reached the Amazon. To pass the time, he figured he'd call his, er, dealer to report on the situation. But before he could, his dealer decided to call him first

"Ah, Skulker, my good man." The voice at the other end of the line was smooth, suave, and icy cold. "I see that your rendezvous with our target did not quite go as planned.

Skulker hastily tried to justify his failure "Look, the girl was completely unarmed, I had everything planned out, she was even in the net, and then-"

The voice at the other end tutted, as though reprimanding a small child. "And then, dear sir, you ended up flying to the Amazon with the speed of a commercial jet. I must say, I'm quite unimpressed. Though I suppose I should have expected that performance from a ghost who's failed to capture the Phantom time and time again."

"How dare you?!" Skulker exclaimed, enraged at his dealer's jab. "If I wasn't stuck flying to the Amazon, I would spit you like a pig!"

"Ah, but you ARE flying to the Amazon, and at a relatively high velocity, as well. Ah well, that's your luck, not mine. Ta!"

"You son of a-!"

*Click*

The mysterious man set down his phone, and smiled a malicious smile.

"Danielle, Danielle, Danielle. You ruined my life, my lab, and the one thing I truly loved. But now that I've found you," the man chuckled, "it's my turn to make your life a living hell."

* * *

**Woohoo! Danielle just took down her her first ghost, albeit with some help from Tucker! She's finally becoming a hero like her cousin.**

**But with one person intent on making her life miserable and another who just learned about Dani's powers, will be be able to stay in the town, or will she be driven out by dangerous rumors and a man with a malicious agenda?**

**As usual, thank you for taking time out of you schedule to read this story. If you enjoyed this chapter, or think I need to improve, leave a review and I'll be sure to listen.**

**Thanks again, and stay tuned for Chapter 5 of _The Lost and the Found!_**


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